DR AMINA TARIQ BIOCHEMISTRY POLYSACCHARIDES DR AMINA TARIQ BIOCHEMISTRY

Polysaccharides HOMO polysaccharides (all 1 type of monomer) 2 types: HOMO polysaccharides (all 1 type of monomer) glycogen, starch, cellulose, chitin HETERO polysaccharides (different types of monomers) peptidoglycans, glycosaminoglycans

Functions: glucose storage (glycogen in animals & bacteria, starch in plants) structure (cellulose, chitin, peptidoglycans, glycosaminoglycans )

Information (cell surface oligo- and polysaccharides, on proteins/glycoproteins and on lipids/glycolipids)

Starches Starches are polymers of glucose. Two types are found: Amylose – 15-20 % Amylopectin – 80-85 % Does not act as a reducing sugar.

Amylose consists of linear, unbranched chains of several hundred glucose residues (units). The glucose residues are linked by a glycosidic bond between their #1 and #4 carbon atoms. ( α1---4 linkages)

Amylopectin differs from amylose in being highly branched. At approximately every thirtieth residue along the chain, a short side chain is attached by a glycosidic bond to the #6 carbon atom . (α1---4)(1---6 linkages).

The total number of glucose residues in a molecule of amylopectin is several thousand. Starches are insoluble in water and thus can serve as storage depots of glucose. Plants convert excess glucose into starch for storage.

Rice, wheat, and corn (maize) are major sources of starch in the human diet. Before starches can enter (or leave) cells, they must be digested. The hydrolysis of starch is done by amylases.

With the aid of an amylase (such as pancreatic amylase), water molecules enter at the 1 -> 4 linkages, breaking the chain and eventually producing a mixture of glucose and maltose

dextrans They are formed in the lab. They have different molecular sizes Their solutions are very viscous α-D glucose polymers Used as plasma expanders in hypovolemic shock In nature form an adhesive coat around certain bacteria.

Glycogen Animals store excess glucose by polymerizing it to form glycogen.

structure of glycogen is similar to that of amylopectin, although the branches in glycogen tend to be shorter and more frequent.

Glycogen is broken down into glucose when energy is needed (a process called glycogenolysis. The highly branched structure permits rapid glucose release from glycogen stores, e.g., in muscle during exercise.

The liver and skeletal muscle are major depots of glycogen.

Cellulose Cellulose is the single most abundant organic molecule in the biosphere.

It is the major structural material of which plants are made. Wood is largely cellulose while cotton and paper are almost pure cellulose.

cellulose differs profoundly from starch in its properties: . cellulose differs profoundly from starch in its properties: 1. Made up of repeating units called cellobiose (β 1—4 linkage). 2. This produces a long, straight, rigid molecule.

3. There are no side chains in cellulose as there are in starch 3. There are no side chains in cellulose as there are in starch. The absence of side chains allows these linear molecules to lie close together.

4. Because of the many -OH groups, as well as the oxygen atom in the ring, there are many opportunities for hydrogen bonds to form between adjacent chains.

The result is a series of stiff, elongated fibrils — the perfect material for building the cell walls of plants.